Aren't stand-alone VCs aimed @ small timer market ?
I should imagine for a guy who's into Krell, Mark Levinson and Lexicon-type gear to be using one of those semi-industrial models meant to be housed in the basement. Where every floor of the property boasts a dedicated port to which you simply attach a vacuum hose on a need-to basis. Instead of conventional bags, all the accumulated crap gets channeled downstairs and into dedicated vacuum storage in the basement.

I like performance. I've done the big timer Miele and the Dyson just works better. Several neighbors have the central vacuum system but they do not work all that well. Many are disappointed given the money they spent.

I am an Audio Research guy which I find more musical and accurate than Krell. Mark Levinson makes my car stereo in my Lexus and I enjoy it but ARC is better still. I don't like Lexicon.

I still have the Miele vac. Apart from being zee German-engineered (probably assembled by some guy named Mehmet) and NOT subject to retail mark-downs (say hello to BOSE), I fail to see what the fuss is about.

Costco had a screaming deal on the Dyson 14 Plus at $249 so we went for it today. I just vacuumed with my excellent Blue Moon yesterday but I went ahead and tried the Dyson. The Dyson simply picked up half a tunnel full of dirt. It is a superb vacuum and has better performance, I'm said to say given the cost difference, than my well loved Miele.

If you are in the market for a solid vacuum, check this deal out at your local Costco.

Highly recommended.

Joint the rest of teh world , get teh wooden floors you dirty Amurikan.

I still have the Miele vac. Apart from being zee German-engineered (probably assembled by some guy named Mehmet) and NOT subject to retail mark-downs (say hello to BOSE), I fail to see what the fuss is about.

I agree. Miele is a good product but over-priced for what it is. But even more importantly the technology has evolved. Canisters just don't work well as the bag fills up. The Dyson cyclone tech really is nice. And I hate spending $16 a box for frickin bags. Emptying the clear plastic container on the Dyson is refreshingly convenient.

What does a better job from a filtration standpoint? How do you measure filtration performance?

By using a particle counter at the exhaust of the vacuum, as well as around any seams in the body. You can find plenty examples of this on youtube (though half of them are by marketing shills). Even the HEPA Dysons leak a fair amount of particulate because the air pathway leading to the HEPA filter is not sealed. That's why you always get that "vacuum" smell even with a fresh cannister. People have gotten so used to it that they either don't even realize it exists, or just think that's how vacuums smell. To put in in perspective, I am totally comfortable sticking my face two inches away from my Miele Jazz's exhaust. I smell absolutely nothing, and particle counters actually read 0 parts. If you open it up, Miele actually has rubber seals, o-rings, and liners around every seam in the vacuum where air can get out. The actual bag compartment is ingeniously designed - not only is it lined with a rubber seal, but it has negative pressure when the vacuum is turned on so the shell is sucked and clamped down on the seal. It's 100% airtight, and the only place the air can go is through an initial large particulate filter, and then through the charcoal activated, electro statically charged filter. There are only a couple of truly sealed vacuum brands out there. Again though, it may not matter much to most people - especially if you don't have allergy problems. The Dyson still filters better than the Eureka crap sold at Wal-Mart. It's just not truly HEPA compliant or hypoallergenic, which was very important to me since I have allergies and live in an old building. It totally depends on the building you live and whether you have pets, carpets, allergies, etc, but I think a fair number of people would be shocked at the respiratory difference a good sealed vacuum can make. Not only that, but it's a noticeable reduction in how often I have to dust my electronics, glass surfaces, and air conditioner filters.

Any thoughts on the Rainbows that use water as a filtering element? A friend just got a vintage one and loves it. --Andre

I've never personally used a particle counter on a Rainbow (I have with Dyson and Miele) but from what I have read on the forums they filter quite well. People have said they can be a pain with the water occasionally though! There does seem to be some debate about using water as the ONLY filtration method (without a secondary sealed HEPA filter) as the company Hyla does, as the problem of bubbles may present itself (bubbles bursting on the surface may contain particulate that has passed through the water). To emphasize just how great the difference is between a normal vacuum and a truly sealed HEPA compliant model, the vacuums have 99.99% efficiency down to .3 microns with a 0 particulate reading. To put that in perspective, these vacuums meet requirements to remove asbestos and lead dust! Of course, some people just want to remove cat hair from the carpet, and normal vacuums are great for that. I just like to be sure that what I suck up actually gets removed from the house!

By using a particle counter at the exhaust of the vacuum, as well as around any seams in the body. You can find plenty examples of this on youtube (though half of them are by marketing shills).

Even the HEPA Dysons leak a fair amount of particulate because the air pathway leading to the HEPA filter is not sealed. That's why you always get that "vacuum" smell even with a fresh cannister. People have gotten so used to it that they either don't even realize it exists, or just think that's how vacuums smell. To put in in perspective, I am totally comfortable sticking my face two inches away from my Miele Jazz's exhaust. I smell absolutely nothing, and particle counters actually read 0 parts. If you open it up, Miele actually has rubber seals, o-rings, and liners around every seam in the vacuum where air can get out. The actual bag compartment is ingeniously designed - not only is it lined with a rubber seal, but it has negative pressure when the vacuum is turned on so the shell is sucked and clamped down on the seal. It's 100% airtight, and the only place the air can go is through an initial large particulate filter, and then through the charcoal activated, electro statically charged filter.

There are only a couple of truly sealed vacuum brands out there. Again though, it may not matter much to most people - especially if you don't have allergy problems. The Dyson still filters better than the Eureka crap sold at Wal-Mart. It's just not truly HEPA compliant or hypoallergenic, which was very important to me since I have allergies and live in an old building. It totally depends on the building you live and whether you have pets, carpets, allergies, etc, but I think a fair number of people would be shocked at the respiratory difference a good sealed vacuum can make. Not only that, but it's a noticeable reduction in how often I have to dust my electronics, glass surfaces, and air conditioner filters.

This is very odd since my Miele has about as bad a vacuum smell as anything. Sure it has rubber seals everywhere but so does my Dyson. I believe the Dyson is simply a better design and I would have preferred the Miele win since I spent almost $1,200 on it.